What happens when our heroes "retire?" Do we immediately search for their replacements? Do we let their accomplishments retire with them? Or are we just lost for a moment in time?

In this fast-paced, googled, wiki'd-wormhole world that is the millennium, extraordinary people are everywhere. They give TED talks. They have Kickstarter projects. They're all over Youtube. Not to take away anything from the magnificent self-starters (myself included), but as I watch Barbara Walters' last episode on the The View, I am in awe of her achievements. As a woman working in the entertainment industry, I am constantly "picking my battles," watching the fine line of sexual harassment and camaraderie. Barbara is a pioneer in this world, and I can only imagine what she's been through and what she still has to deal with. I feel lucky to have grown up with this woman in my life. She may never know me, but she is with me. Every time I feel disrespected by a colleague, challenged by a male boss, or questioned on set because I am a female director, she will be with me.